Irving Azoff slams the former Fleetwood Mac member after the guitarist claims money and lead vocalist Stevie Nicks were the reason he was driven out of the group.
- September 11, 2021
AceShowbiz - Fleetwood Mac manager Irving Azoff has fired back at Lindsey Buckingham's allegations he was "driven by the money" when it came to the rocker's departure from the band.
Buckingham told the Los Angeles Times the group's front woman, his ex-girlfriend Stevie Nicks, had him fired from the group following a request to delay Fleetwood Mac's 2018 tour to promote his solo music.
He went on to slam Azoff for his apparent involvement in the decision and, after Nicks spoke out publicly about Buckingham's "revisionist history," the businessman also issued a statement, insisting the guitarist had been kept in the band "longer than (he) should have" been.
He said, "I have historically declined comment on artists, but in the case of Lindsey Buckingham, I will make an exception."
"While I understand it's challenging for Lindsey to accept his own role in these matters and far easier to blame a manager, the fact remains that his actions alone are responsible for what transpired."
"Frankly, if I can be accused of anything it's perhaps holding things together longer than I should have."
"After 2018 when Fleetwood Mac evolved with their new lineup, my continued work with the band was due entirely to the fact I've been aligned with Stevie Nicks in thought and purpose from the earliest of days."
"While financial gain was not a motivator for me, it was a delightful bonus that the band scored their highest grossing tour ever without Lindsey."
In her own response to his comments, Nicks set the record straight on Buckingham's departure from the band, clarifying, "To be exceedingly clear, I did not have him fired, I did not ask for him to be fired, I did not demand he be fired. Frankly, I fired myself."
"I proactively removed myself from the band and a situation I considered to be toxic to my wellbeing. I was done. If the band went on without me, so be it."
"And after many lengthy group discussions, Fleetwood Mac, a band whose legacy is rooted in evolution and change, found a new path forward with two hugely talented new members."
